Brand New
by Goldaliine
Summary: Kagome/Sesshoumaru fic. Go to my profile for the AMV/Trailer link.
1. Sowing Season, 1

Inspired by the band, Brand New. So if you're a fan of both the band and the anime, you'll defenitely enjoy the fanservice. The title of the chapter is the also the title of the song said chapter was inspired by. Does that make sense? I think so. I'm reposting all, as it has gone through major editing, but if you've already read this, skip to the chapter you last ended on and it should still make sense.

Thanks to MelissaRose85 for her awe-inspiring beta-reading skills.  
Double THANKS!! to Margot Gentry, who has made the second take and continuation possible.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Inuyasha or any of the Brand New lyrics used. Not in this chapter, nor in the ones to follow.

"Speaking"  
'Thinking'  
**Quote**

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**Chapter 1**

_**Sowing Season, Pt 1**_

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The sound of my blood rushing inside my body deafened everything else around me. I saw the tentacle approaching me, moving quickly from the opposite side of the clearing towards me, sneaking between demons in a snake-like manner. I tried to move, run, out of harm's way, but my feeble attempts were overcome by a deep, paralyzing fear.

Sometime between the beginning of the battle and the point we were now at, we had broken our circle, and I ended up in the open, fending for myself against the tide of demons. Everyone was too far out of reach to come to my aid in time. I could almost feel the tentacle piercing straight through me now, the pain coming from deep in my chest surely a preview of what was to come. I closed my eyes and did what I always do when in dire need for help.

"Inuyasha!!" I screamed as loud as my lungs would give and waited for either cold death and warm arms.

But my life did not come flashing before my eyes; instead, a familiar light filled my senses, too pink to be the one others claimed to have seen while near death. It was in this limbo moment that I found myself suddenly aware of everything surrounding me. I felt connected to every ounce of being around me, every rock, every leaf, every cloud. Every demon. I opened my eyes to try and asses the current situation and found myself gifted with the power of slow motion.

Sango was to my right, slamming hordes of demons with hiraikotsu, while the ever-faithful Kirara fought at her back…Shippou…poor Shippou, floating as a giant ball in the air trying to come to my rescue, abandoning Miroku's grimacing side. It seemed he had taken in one too many venomous creatures, but still fought his best through the pain.

None of them would get to me in time, not before Naraku's slimy appendage. I sensed Kikyo standing by the edge of the clearing, hidden from view and senses with a protective barrier around herself. I knew she was waiting for the right moment to make her move against Naraku, waiting for him to be at his weakest and most unprotected.

Sesshoumaru stood out in the darkening battlefield, a knight in shining armor…and silk, slashing fiercely and almost delicately at Naraku's ever shifting mass.

Lastly, my eyes found the figure clad in red that fought alongside Sesshoumaru - Inuyasha, as much of a demon as he would ever be, wielding Tetsuaiga as if the sword was part of his body, wild and unpredictable.

His swiveling ears caught wind of my call for him and I saw him turn in my direction, his face changing from anger to terror.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he screamed at a battered but smirking Naraku as he moved swiftly to cut off the tentacle that threatened my life. But it was now too close to me, and now having been cut loose it moved faster towards my frozen body.

I saw the leathery thing approach me ever so slowly in this new dimension of sense and for a moment I believed I could easily dodge it, but my legs were set on disobeying me. Slow motion started becoming real time once more, and for a second I gave into the idea of dying.

Ever the optimist, I could see even the positive side of Death. Surely it could not be so bad. I would no longer have to worry about graduation, or my friends finding out that I'm never actually sick, just traveling 500 years to the past to help save the world from evil.

No more worrying about the Jewel, either. The moment Naraku had gotten a hold of Kouga's shards, everyone's spirit had fallen a little, the thought of losing to the spider hanyou actually crossed my mind a couple of times, if only briefly. Kouga was badly injured by the encounter, and had been unconscious for several days now. We had decided to give it all we got in this (hopefully last) battle. We could not afford to give Naraku any more time to try and steal our shards and have the complete Jewel.

When Sesshoumaru showed up and told us he would join us in this battle, we welcomed him with open arms…more or less. The addition to our small party was not only a surprise to Inuyasha, but to Naraku as well. I was sure he had to regret not being able to raise not one of his demons without betrayal instilled in their core.

And so here we were now, after hours and hours of incessant fighting, the lesser demons that Naraku had at his command were still coming from every direction, and except for Sesshoumaru, everyone seemed to be feeling a little worse for wear.

"**It's coming to an end**…" I thought with a mixture of resignation and contempt as I watched my friends give it their all, their everything, in this final push.

"Kagome!!" Inuyasha yelled as he sprinted in my direction in a last attempt to save my life. It was his face, full of pained anguish and fear, that did it for me in that instant, and all thoughts of giving up and easy surrender were gone from my mind. I could not dare put him through any more heartache…not him, not the boy I loved.

I dug deep within my self and pulled every ounce of strength I could muster into my miko energy, trying to gather it in my hands. I felt the pinkish light gathering in my chest, tightly bound as if contained, restrained, spiking raw and stretching thin to my tingling fingertips. I pushed harder, trying to get some release, a feeling of drowning and drying out simultaneously washing over me. And then I felt it. A rope, a ribbon, a string. Something wrapped around my very core, my heart, keeping my energy in check. I concentrated on that suffocating thing and pulled, staring ahead at the tentacle that was now only feet from me. And then it tore, broke, shattered, very much like the Sacred Jewel had done so long ago, untangling something that had been purposely knotted by others before…and I felt complete. I felt whole.

My hands quickly came up to meet the one coming to claim my life with a grace very unlike my own. With the slightest touch of my fingers on the lengthy tentacle it dissipated into nothing more than glimmering dust. I did not need to look at a mirror to know that I was glowing. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck raising, as if I had just stuck a knife into an electrical outlet.

I felt…heard…power radiating off my entire body. The sound of waves and rushing blood gone from my mind, now replaced by a resonating, echoing heartbeat, and when I turned to look at Inuyasha, I found everyone on the battlefield, friend and foe alike, looking at me with slight awe and fear.

"Kagome! A-are you okay?!" squealed Shippou with a slight look of fear on his face and keeping a distance from me.

"Yes, I'm fine Shippou..." I tried to reassure him, but no sooner had I spoken and the spell that seemed to hold everyone in place broke, sending every enemy demon except Naraku in my direction.

Inuyasha reached my side before any of them and looked at me with a creased brow, "What the hell was that?!" ha asked as he took post in front of me protectively and turned to face the approaching demon wave.

"I'm not sure…I feel…different," I answered, moving confidently to stand at his side and bringing my hands up, palms open and pointing forward .

I reached in to that now overflowing well of energy in me and pushed it off from my palms. Part of me thinking it had to have been a fluke and I would not be able to do it again, another part thinking something very big was about to happen.

A blinding light burst from my palms and engulfed about half of the field in front of me.

I could feel myself glowing brighter this time, light coming off my body in slight, shaky ripples. Inuyasha moved away from me and stood far away behind me.

"What the hell is going on?!" he asked, more to the gods than anyone else. "How the- how did you just do that?!"

"I'm not sure! Stop yelling at me!" I shouted as I stared at my hands and then at the almost empty area in front of me, I saw the surviving demons thinking twice about the new situation and retreating into the trees. On the other side of the field, Naraku was still struggling against Sesshoumaru, being either too occupied or too exhausted to call forth any more of his minions.

And then once again, it all became very clear in my mind, like the last piece of the puzzle was in and the whole image was crystal clear. "I can purify the Jewel. I can defeat Naraku," I said to myself, tasting the words and finding them a little less comforting in my lips than they had been in my head.

I walked towards my friends, leaving Inuyasha to gather his senses on his own, I felt the energy in me settle down a little and noticed I was no longer glowing. I reached Sango just in time to stop her from overdosing Miroku with a mixture of antibiotics and cough syrup.

"How is he doing?" I asked as I took the bottle from her hands.

"Better I hope. I made him drink all the medicine," she responded, still shaky and frazzled, moving to lift the unconscious monk's head onto her lap.

"All of it?!" I said as I realized the bottle in my hands was completely empty.

"Yeah…" Sango responded, failing to notice the slight panic in my voice, and shifting the conversation, "What just happened, Kagome?"

I glanced to the events still unfolding at the other side of the clearing, where Sesshoumaru had Naraku engaged in combat, seemingly refusing to let him escape as he repeatedly cut him off from routes close to the forest line.

I could no longer sense Kikyo nearby and wondered if that was a good omen or not.

"Kagome…what happened…how did you purify all those demons at once?" Sango pressed on when I didn't answer, getting me to shift my attention from the fight to the questioning group at my side, where Shippou and Kirara had now joined in around the unconscious Miroku.

"I'm not sure, I just feel much more…before I felt so-" but before I could complete my reverie, Inuyasha came striding over.

"What the hell is going on?!!" he yelled outrageously, "What are you talking about 'I can purify him,'" he said with a mocking tone lightly marking his words.

"I can do it Inuyasha," I repeated my previous thoughts once again, the words still tasting very foreign in my mouth, "I can purify him."

Sango and Shippou just stared at me, and even Kirara's mouth seemed to be slightly agape. "Dammit Kagome! I'm going back to the fight, stay here and keep an eye for any stray demons," he said, turning around and heading back towards the sparring.

He didn't even consider my words. Pushed my thought aside like I was a little girl. I got up from my spot next to Sango and ran up in front of him, blocking his path and putting on hand on my hip and the other in front of me to stop him.

"What? You're gonna try and purify _me_ now?" he asked with a hint of annoyance, trying to go around me.

"Inuyasha, stop, please!" I begged, "listen to me."

"Why? So you can tell me about how you think you can defeat Naraku? Get out of my way, I need to get back to the fight, Sesshoumaru is holding him off but I think we could finish him off quickly together."

"You've been going at it for hours now, and look at them," I pointed towards the spot where the demon and hanyou still fought, "this could go on all night!"

I walked closer to him, at once taking in his beaten appearance. The red robes he wore were good at masking weakness points, but if you looked closely enough you could se the bruises and scrapes, the long gashes and bleeding cuts. How did I not see it before? He was bleeding freely from his right shoulder, the blood trickling down his arm and flowing to his clawed hand, "Just listen to me," I said as I moved to hold his bloody hand. When he didn't make any effort to walk away, I took my opportunity to explain.

I quickly told him about how I felt when the tentacle came close to me, how I felt some kind of hidden energy reserve in me just open to my senses and how I felt I could use it. "I feel I can purify anything right now. Not just fragments of the jewel and some random demons. I feel like I could purify your demon side right now and make you human in one second."

He looked at me apprehensively, weighing my words before speaking, "So you want me to just let you walk up to him and say, 'Hey, Naraku, come over here for a second, there's something I'd like to try out with you?"

"No, Inuyasha, I-"

"Forget it. You may feel more power in you, but we haven't even had a chance to test it. I won't let you willingly walk to your death," he said with a forceful air of finality and started walking off again.

"I won't die Inuyasha! Trust me!" I told him just as forcefully, putting my hand up and grabbing him by the shoulders, trying to make him stop.

He flinched when I pressed along his shoulder wound and stopped, apparently mulling over my words for a moment, then glancing at the ongoing battle between his half-brother and the half-demon.

He sighed and looked me straight in the eyes, "Fine, but you stay behind me the whole time, and don't thi-"

"No, I need to go alone," I said.

"No way in hell!" he yelled hotly, standing face to face with me.

"If you come with me you'll be purified as well."

"What if it doesn't work?!" he insisted.

"It'll work. Trust me," I said, trying to convey as much confidence in my words as I could. Truth was, I wasn't completely sure what I was doing was very bright, but it felt like the most obvious thing in the world to me, even if it sounded all wrong.

He took his eyes off my face and looked at the group. Miroku was still passed out, his head resting on Sango's lap, something the monk would regret having been unconscious through once he came to. Kirara had reverted to her smaller form, and was nursing her wounds, while Shippou and Sango looked at us with worry in their eyes.

"Kagome…he's a lot stronger than he seems…" Sango said as from her spot beneath the unconscious monk.

"I can do this," I tried to reaffirm everyone this time.

"But Kagome…" Shippou whined clutching to my side, apparently too tired and hurt to jump into my arms.

"You…" Inuyasha started, grabbing hold of my shoulders this time and forcing me to face him, much too close for friendly comfort. "You make sure he doesn't hurt you…you make sure you come back here alive and in one piece," he said, and for a moment, looking into his golden eyes, I was sure everything would turn out fine.

I gave him a nod and he stepped back, releasing my body from his clawed hands. I took a last look at my friends and headed for the ongoing battle at the other side of the clearing.

'You better be right about this, Kagome,' I thought to myself. The falling night had taken on a chilly air and a gust of wind caressed my legs and made my school skirt fly up a little, tinting my cheeks pink, my modesty in such a situation making me even more aware of my humanity.

I could not remember the last time such confidence had allowed me such foolishness, except the one time I thought my bow and arrow skills were not too bad and so wittingly tied a demon's leg to an arrow, letting it fly straight into the Sacred Jewel and shattering it into a million pieces.

The sound of sword against flesh was spread throughout the land as Sesshoumaru pulled Tokijin out of Naraku's stomach. He gave me a quick glance while Naraku took a moment to gather himself, and I felt very small and insignificant, no matter how much I had just talked about being able to defeat this and purify that. I felt my skin start to hum again, a slight glow resurfacing once more now that I was in close proximity to two very strong presences.

"Leave," Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke.

I looked at him in surprise. It was all my fault. The jewel shattered once, and it was all my fault. None of the grievances that now pained my friends would exist if only I had been a little more careful.

I had once thought the world so simple and monotone, filling my days with classes and friends, and the random boys that wrote me cheesy love notes. But now it had all changed, and I knew that the fairy tale I once thought I could handle would eventually twist so much, even I would not be able to detangle from it.

This was all my fault. This was my battle, not Sesshoumaru's. And he had to get out of the way if he didn't want to be purified as well. I planted my feet on the ground and did not move an inch.

"Well, well, the little miko wants to play, huh?" said Naraku smiling, crimson blood staining the usual cheery purple of his robes.

We stood almost triangularly coordinated on the darkening day, and I felt wearily out of place. Did I really think I was a match for either one of these men? With my short uniform and polished nails.

"He…he's mine Sesshoumaru," I said, my voice trembling with either courage or fear.

Naraku snickered and Sesshoumaru growled. After what seemed like an eternity under Sesshoumaru's careful gaze, he slowly put Tokijin back in its sheath and walked away from the scene.

I heard Naraku chuckle when Sesshoumaru's figure could no longer be seen and saw him become more at ease, "You do realize this means your death, girl?"

"The name's Kagome," I replied more out of habit than the need to be recognized, trying to concentrate on the energy I had felt before.

"You might be Kikyo's reincarnation, but you two are nothing alike," he said as he recalled the growing mass of tentacles back into his body, gaining confidence as well as two legs, and moving towards me.

I quickly thought about how best to go about this. I could try and do it just like before, redirecting the energy out of my hands, but somehow I knew it would take more to purify him than it took to do so with the horde of demons previously.

'If I can get direct contact with his skin…" I thought, stopping my feet from backing away from the approaching hanyou.

"I can see why Inuyasha would still pick her dead form over you," he told me sneering, awaiting my reaction. And as hard as I tried not to let him bait me, my breath hitched and my shoulders flinched, the sharpened comment piercing my heart.

He was so close to me now; I could smell the metallic scent of his blood soaked robes. It was now or never, no time for any relationship angst.

And so I closed the distance between us, taking a couple of steps and reaching for his hand. Whatever reaction he had pictured in his rotten mind, this had certainly not been it. I saw the look of surprise from the unexpected touch of my skin.

I curled my fingers around his and tried to concentrate on the task. I needed to purify him. I needed to do it fast. But all I could think of were his words, 'Inuyasha would still pick her dead form over _you_.' And before I could stop myself, the words were already half way through my mouth. I just had to know.

"**Do you miss the blend...of color...she left in your black and white field?**"I murmured while holding his hot palm in mine, "**Do you feel...condemned, just being here?**"

The last words almost a whisper as I tried to reign my spoken thoughts back in, I looked up at him and found his deep purple eyes open and unguarded. For a tiny moment I forgot about purifying him and I remembered that he too had been pushed aside, feelings trapped and ignored while his loved one went and found another. As weird and twisted as it seemed, I wanted to connect with him, I wanted him to know that I too understood the pain of unrequited love. But out the corner of my eye I saw a speck of red in the distance running towards us and realized it was too late for missed connections. I remembered who I was, and who he was, and what we were both supposed to be doing.

I grabbed for that energy in me, so readily given now, and pushed it out of my core and into his palm, letting the hot light course all over his body. I was glowing brightly again, brighter than even before. He gasped, astonished, eyes wide and full of nothing but years of unavenged passion. I didn't want to feel sorry for him, I didn't want to cry for him. He destroyed so many lives and caused so much pain, I knew I should not cry for him. He didn't deserve them, but as I felt my tears break free and rush down my cheeks, a bright ball of pink energy engulfed us both and expanded all around us, illuminating the entire field.

When the light finally settled and the coming twilight rightfully took over again, I opened my eyes and saw he had been turned to nothing more than dust, the almost complete Jewel was resting now at my feet.

Still silently crying, I let my head fall back and saw Sesshoumaru high in the cloudy evening sky, his white robes and gleaming hair a strong contrast against the gray clouds. He seemed to be sizing me up for a moment, but quickly took off as Inuyasha rushed to my side and roughly grabbed my shoulders, looking me up and down to check for permanent physical damage.

I thought he would scold me for being so bold and intimate with Naraku, but instead I felt his warm arms circle around me and pull me into a hug, drying my tears with the cloth of his haori.

No one spoke for what felt like an eternity, but Inuyasha eventually pulled himself back at arms distance, "Are you okay?" he asked, and that seemed to break the romance that had lingered in the air moments ago.

The sky gave in to the dark clouds and heavy drops started falling, paying no mind to the remaining occupants in the open field.

I let out a long sigh, my tears having finally stopped but now being replaced by the rain, and reached down to the ground to pick up the almost finished Jewel, pretty and petty at the same time. I wiped it off and held it close to my chest, where the remaining shards hung loosely around my neck.

"Go on. Get rid of it once and for all," Inuyasha said rather uncaringly.

"Inuyasha..."

"It won't turn back time. It won't make me a better man. And I sure as hell don't want to end up like the other hanyou. Get rid of it. Make it disappear. Hurry up before I change my mind."

Staring at his warmly colored eyes, I wondered which had been the defining moment that made me fall in love with him. I had fallen for him so hard that even when he would follow Kikyo and leave me behind time after time, my love for him never faltered.

I had known Inuyasha loved Kikyo, and I had learned it the hard way. The first time Kikyo was brought back from the dead, taking my soul and almost killing me in the process, Inuyasha had run after the undead miko without even sparing my dying form a look.

He had loved Kikyo before I had ever even been born. And their story was so tragic, how could I do anything but to step away from the love that seemed to transcend even death? So I would look away, I would cover my eyes, I would close my mouth, and I would be there when he came back to let me have all he had left.

Of course, I'm sure he loved me on his own way as well. He loved me for everything he wished I could have been, but not enough to try and become the one I for me. So we would sit on tall trees and hold hands while we healed. We would share stories and meals, and have long conversations during long trips. But he would not share his heart with anyone but the undead.

Of that I was painfully aware. I gave him a small smile and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the undoable task. So now, on to completing the Jewel first.

I ripped the necklace from my neck and loosened the shards from the thin chain. I put both the small shards and the almost round Jewel in my hands and pressed them tightly together, a vibrating feeling coming from the shiny orb and then receding into it's normal state. I spread my palms open and saw the once again completed Sacred Jewel. A fleeting smile once again touched my lips, but before anyone else got any ideas about wishes, I closed my hands against it again and closed my eyes. And now, on to the second impossible task.

"You may want to stand back." I cracked one eye to tell Inuyasha but found him already a good distance away. The rain was falling harder now, soaking my uniform through and through. I sat down in the muddy field and kneeled in a praying position, the Jewel held tightly in my hands.

Closing my eyes again, I went back into the task at hand, and tried to grab a hold of that energy that had recently come to life within me. I knew my skin began glowing brightly again and felt it light up with goose bumps. I felt my hair become lighter and float around me, loose strands brushing my cheeks and neck.

How would I purify such a powerful force? I could feel the energy radiating from deep in my chest, like a string that, if followed, led to the bigger catch. I concentrated on the Jewel in my hands and felt around for a weakness, anything that would allow me to enter it and give me a chance to decode it, to pluck it apart and separate the pieces.

After a few minutes I felt it, I saw it. I heard it screaming in anguish. I sensed the battle inside the Jewel just like I had seen so many other battles right in front of my eyes. There was a lone bright figure, fighting off a mass of darkness, like a yin and yang with a little more black than white.

'Kagome,' I heard a soft voice calling, startling me out of my senses and almost making me loose concentration.

'I…' I felt a little stupid talking to a voice, especially a calm voice in the middle of such chaos, 'Who…who's there? How do you know my name…'

'Kagome, I need your help,' the voice said, and this time I could tell it was a woman speaking. Could it be I was talking to _her?_

'Who are you?' I repeated, not quite trusting anything in this realm. Lost was the feeling of rain on my skin or my hair brushing my face. I was suspended in a light breeze, weightless and unmoving, but terror surrounded me and I could feel the desperate efforts of both light and dark fighting against each other.

'I am Midoriko, your assumptions are not mistaken,' the voice spoke again, now somehow closer to her.

'Midoriko!' I gasped, 'Is…is this the battle inside the Jewel…is this the battle that created it?'

'Wise and cunning, I see,' she tried a quiet laugh but sounded more like a tired moan, 'I need your help, miko.'

When she called me a miko, recognizing me as one of her own, I felt a little braver. Alright, so I purified Naraku not even an hour ago, now what.

'What can I do?' I asked.

'You must defeat the darkness around us. You must set me free and relieve yourself and any others of my failed attempt at peace,' she said, and this time I was able to make out her form even with my closed eyes, a bright silhouette coming closer to me.

'But how?' I tried not to let my anxiety show, 'I'm not nearly as powerful as you.'

'Don't doubt yourself, Kagome. Don't tell me you have not noticed the change in yourself?'

'Yes! I feel so- how did you know?'

'We don't have much time, the dark side grows stronger, fighting with everything there's left now that it feels your power is closer to being unimpaired.'

'Please, I need to know what's happening to me?' I asked her again to explain, curiosity winning all my attention.

Maybe sensing that I would not let the issue go, she decided to answer me 'Kagome, I have been at war in this Jewel ever since it was created, out of my own foolishness, thinking I could imprison all evil and guard the world against it on my own.' she began, now standing at my side and taking hold of my hand, the one that had so inappropriately held Naraku's before.

'When Kikyo was made the keeper of the Sacred Jewel, she was the first to try and destroy it, and the dark forces within it were enraged, for the hope of one day being free again always lived on within them. When she had the Jewel burned along with her dead body, it came back inside of you, her reincarnation.

'And so when you were born, a powerful miko as well, the dark side feared you would try and follow in her steps. While the Jewel slept inside of you it also took a hold of your miko energy, creating a barrier against your true power and sealing it deep within you.

'Their efforts were so strong, and I tried incessantly on my own to dispel their barriers, that when I was unable to do so, I thought you would never come to know your true gift, and would go on to live like a normal human.

'But when you were pulled through the well and traveled through time, the Jewel was stolen from you, and somehow you managed to steal some of your powers back. I was amazed at how much energy you could wield, even though you were unaware of your real abilities and doubted yourself constantly.

'When Kikyo stole your soul, I thought that surely it would be your end. Even when you managed to gain most of it back, with your lost miko powers and your incomplete soul, you still fought and held incredible capacity. You eventually managed to regain all of your soul from Kikyo, but it wasn't until the last battle against Naraku, when you were faced with immediate death, that you proved yourself above and beyond _anyone's_ expectations. You broke the seal the dark forces had placed on you. You released your energy and used it so capably. I am now in debt to you. But I must ask for your help once more. You must rid the Jewel of this darkness, and by doing this you will be breaking down any last hindrance against your true self, the darkness in the Jewel will no longer stand in your way. Please, purify the darkness and let my soul rest.'

When Midoriko stopped speaking, I released a breath I did not know I was holding. All these years of feeling like I could barely use my energy, like maybe I shouldn't be a miko with what little powers I had. All this time feeling like there was something missing. And now here was my chance to make it all better.

'I will do my best.' I told her, trying to inject as much faith into my words as I could muster.

'Thank you, Kagome. Now let your mind take over and just let your energy flow freely. You'll know what to do.'

Easier said than done. Midoriko was next to me, a light in the ever filling darkness. All around me there were cries of battle, shrieking indescribable laments. I could feel it trying to overcome me, swallow me like a giant wave. I tried feeling for that energy again, except this time there was so much pain around me it was hard to feel anything else. It took me several moments but I finally found it, and followed that energy like a lifeline down to my core.

It was easy to give into it once I found it, and just let it overflow like Midoriko had told me to do. I tried to relax and let the warm feeling flow. The cries around me grew louder and the feeling of weightlessness faded away, making me heavy as lead, the atmosphere now thick and hot. I felt the dark pushing into me, trying to force my light back in, but I had so much more inside me, I was barely getting started. I took that source of energy in me and tried moving it from my chest, going higher and higher with it, until I could feel it right behind my eyes. And then I opened them and all I saw was light, the screaming around me fading instantly and the feeling of fear and anxiety coming to an end.

'Ahh…well done, Kagome,' Midoriko sighed, her voice fading, 'I shall be forever in your debt.'

My senses came back to me slowly, and the light I saw slowly became a dark field and shadowy figures in front of me. It had stopped raining, but I was soaked from head to toe.

"I think she's coming to!" said a feminine voice behind me.

"Kagome! Kagome, are you ok?!" I heard a frantic Inuyasha ask.

"Is it gone?" I asked to no one in particular, still not able to see much more than fuzzy, dark images.

"Is what gone Kagome?" what I now discerned to be Miroku's voice asked me.

"The Jewel. Is it gone?" I asked again.

I felt tiny claws pry my tightly clenched hands open, and then silence. No one spoke for a moment, so I assumed the worst. It must still be there, nestled in my hand. I was sitting awkwardly in the mud, my legs under me and Sango supporting my back. Shippou moved off my lap as I tried to move my hands to get a better look at the Jewel. My sight was coming to and when I looked at my palms I saw nothing, so I shook my head a little, trying to clear it.

But my hands were still empty. "It's gone. It really is gone," I murmured silently, looking up to see the faces of my friends.

But no sooner had I looked up did I wish I hadn't. They were all staring at me, and for the second time in the day I felt like all eyes were on me, shock and awe reigning free.

"What's wrong?" I asked timidly.

It was Shippou that gave me the news, "Your eyes are pink," he said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"Your eyes have changed color Kagome," Sango confirmed the previous news.

"And may I say they compliment you perfectly," said Miroku, and I looked into his face just in time to see him smirk.

"Your scent is different, too." Inuyasha now piped in, standing a little farther away from me than I would have liked.

"Really?" I didn't think there was much more I could say about the current situation.

"This is going to take some getting used to," Shippou said, still eyeing me suspiciously, while Kirara made a nod like movement at his side.

"This will take some getting used to as well," said Miroku with an wonder-filled smile on his face, holding up his right palm open in our direction.

We all shrunk back a bit, shocked at his movement and at seeing the beads hanging loosely around his wrist, but then realized what the empty, ordinary palm meant.

"It's over," Inuyasha said, as if just now coming to the realization out loud.

We all exchanged worried looks, not quite wanting to believe it just to be proved wrong again. But after a few minutes I felt a smile tugging at my lips, and try as I might, I could not hold it in.

"It's over!" I beamed at everyone.

We hugged and kissed, and Miroku was nice enough to keep it friendly. Inuyasha was forced to join when I got up and grabbed his hand, ambushing him into a group hug. Spirits were high and mighty when we started getting ready for the trip back to the village but I saw Inuyasha hang back and look far away into the tree line of the forest.

I walked up to him and once again grabbed a hold of his hand. I was suddenly hit with the desperate need to keep him by my side. Keep him right within my grasp. I intertwined my fingers with his and stood on my tip toes, and as my face neared his he looked like a deer caught in the lights. I came closer to his face and moved just an inch to the left, giving him a chaste kiss on his cheek.

The boy still had the decency to blush, and made me smile even more. We walked hand in hand across the field to the spot where our friends waited, and where the long journey back to Kaede's began.

**_..._**

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**_._**


	2. Sowing Season, 2

One more part to Sowing Season coming soon before the second chapter, Soco Amaretto Lime, comes up.

Thank you Margot Gentry!

"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
**Quote**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**_Sowing Season, Pt II_**

**...**

**..**

**.**

If the time to be merry had ever been right, then this surely was such an occasion. Three days had passed since we had reached Kaede's and Miroku's health had finally come back in full. The whole village called for a celebration in honor of the now heroic denizens who vanquished evil from the land, and we were more than happy to comply with everyone's wishes for festivities.

I had been kept busy all day helping with the feast; there was still much to boil, chop and roast as the evening approached. I was on my way to the village headman's home where the gathering was going to take place when I saw Inuyasha walking the same way with Shippou by his side. The two had their hands full of firewood and as soon as I was spotted by them, Shippou dropped half of his load in an attempt to wave at me.

"Hey Kagome! Look at all the wood we got!" he said excitedly as he started picking some of the fallen sticks of off the ground, a smile plastered on his face.

"Good job Shippou, I think that should be enough for tonight," I said as I came to a stop by Inuyasha's side and kneeled to help Shippou pick up the fallen sticks.

A group of kids ran past us and I looked up in time to see Shippou's face light up with pleasure in the presence of potential playmates.

"How about you hand me the wood and you go play for a while, eh?"

"Thanks Kagome!" he said as he scurried after the noisy kids.

"Keh, spoiled brat," Inuyasha scoffed after him as I struggled to adjust the pointy sticks in my hands.

"He's just a little kid Inuyasha."

A huff was his only response, so I hid a small smile and kept on walking by his side. The day was almost at its end, the sky taking on a mix of warm and cool colors as the sun gave way to the moon. The past days had been strictly spent on recovering from injuries, old and new.

I was still very worried about Sango, not knowing if she would make a full recovery after having lost and sacrificed so much of herself these past couple of years. At an age where us girls would usually worry about looks and hidden meanings, Sango had been fighting to gather the broken pieces of her family, following an apathetic brother that barely lingered between life and death.

Kohaku's death had been a devastating blow. When his life came to an end by one Naraku's evil ploys, we had all been by her side to see Kohaku's last breath, to hear his last words, and to see his true smile, the one only his sister would know and appreciate.

"**Take all that you have,**" he said to her, once again recognizing Sango not as an opponent, but as a dear one close to his heart, "**and turn it into something you were missing.**"

She allowed herself to cry out in the open that day, the words "I'm fine" coming out of her mouth with every tearful sigh. It had taken her many days to stop the tears, and I wondered how many months, or even years, it would take for her to work up the courage and take her brother's advise.

And this was where Miroku's part came in. The simple-minded monk had always been the cheery type, but now that his certain , impending doom was out of the picture, he seemed to be a lot more serious and a lot less simple. Perhaps the predestined death that had been bestowed upon him, passed from generation to generation, had made him only think of what would come today, giving him freedom and freeing him from responsibilities that come with age.

But during the trip back to Kaede's after the last battle, he had been doing nothing but meditating, puzzling the rest of the us that were so used to his mischievous ways. He had only given in to the temptation once, when Sango approached him in his meditation and sat next to him, seeking enlightenment herself. She had found some of it in the form of the accustomed fingers feeling her behind. The hand to the cheek came as expected, but instead of her walking as far away as she could from the grinning man, Sango leaned in close and gave him a kiss on the previously assaulted cheek, leaving the monk perplexed.

The only one to notice this exchange had been Shippou, who had been spying on Miroku waiting for him to falter so he could have his share of amusement from the monk's punishment, and then proceeded to tell me of this new discovery. It certainly made me feel better that she seemed to at least have an idea of what she wanted, but would Miroku be able to provide it?

And while my mind was off wandering such things, it failed to notice and warn me of the little pebble in my way. I tripped on the age-old stone, but luckily I was well acquainted with these types of thing as any other clumsy girl would be, and was able to avoid falling to the ground, managing to play it off very well if I say so myself, only dropping some of the firewood in my arms.

I bent down to pick them up and when my attention returned to the handsome boy at my side, I found him sniffing the air, a sad, longing look settled in his eyes as they gazed towards the tree line.

He looked at me when he realized I was staring at him. "Such a klutz," he quipped once the charms of the forest were swept to the back of his mind.

"I know, I know. But someday, I will be as graceful as a swan, you just watch. I'll be turning 18 in a couple of weeks and some grace must definitely be on my way," I told him jokingly, trying to get the light, easy-going mood back.

"How about exchanging those short clothes of yours for grace?"

"My uniform?!" I said, looking down to my attire and failing to see what was so wrong with it. True, I had graduated last year, but wearing the old uniform on my trips always made me feel a little closer to home. "No. The uniform stays whenever I'm here," I told him "and I must be going back home soon to spend some time with my family."

"We'll see about that," he responded, and I easily picked up on the apprehension in his voice.

"I still don't know what I'll tell everyone about my eyes…"

"I keep telling you, they won't even notice. You worry too much," he said, dismissing the matter as if it was weather talk."Inuyasha...I'm sure my mother will notice my eyes have gone from brown to pink. I don't think I've ever even seen anyone with eyes of this shade, unless they were a demon..." I was still having difficulty with the matter; villagers all around that had once been so welcoming to me were now wary, probably thinking I might have been possessed or replaced by some evil creature.

I was sure they all thought it impossible for me to have been the one to purify Naraku. Me, the weird girl that could barely do a barrier charm.

The matter had been eventually settled by Kaede when she informed everyone in the village that I was still the same Kagome, albeit a small change in my looks. After hearing the story about the Jewel and how I purified it, she told me that my body must have been overtaken by such power that it probably changed my soul in some level, and my eyes showed it; they were now the shade of pink the Sacred Jewel had once been.

"You think they'll go back to the way they were?" I tried to keep the conversation going.

"Dunno," he said curtly. He still insisted the color of my eyes was of no importance, and it should be the power I eradiated that should make everyone take a second look at me. But then again, there weren't many humans around that could easily detect auras. Now, nosy friends from the future were a whole different matter…

My internal musings silently took us all the way back to the Headman's home, and Inuyasha went his own way while I was dragged into the kitchen to help with the food and contribute what I could to the now legend of how Naraku came to be destroyed.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

Later that evening, after much eating and drinking was done throughout the house, I decided to leave the celebration after things started getting a little rowdy and too much sake was being passed around. I made my way out of the banquet room and caught Inuyasha's tired eyes from the corner of the room, where he once again sat, distanced from everyone, being there merely in body but not spirit. I thought about going over to him, taking him by the hand and walking him to my quarters, just to see where things would go from there, but the silly thoughts left my mind too soon. After all, I didn't even have a sip of alcohol.

I found my room for the night easily enough and changed into my sleeping yukata, an off-white, light cotton robe, and settled nicely into the mattress lying in the middle of the floor.

What would I do now that my duty was complete? Should I go back to my own time and try to pick up where I left off? Maybe I could get into a decent university…but how would Inuyasha work into all that? And what if the well suddenly closed one day and didn't let me back through. The Jewel was gone now. What would keep me connected between the two worlds.

My thoughts came to a halt when I felt rather than heard Inuyasha's presence right outside my room. I saw his shadows through the sliding screen settle down as he took a seat and rested Tetsuaiga by his side, seemingly ready to spend the night outside my door. I was so tempted to crawl out of bed and ask him to come inside. I thought about this for a while, weighing the pros and cons in my mind.

He had been aloof all night and I couldn't stop wondering what the cause of his troubles could be. And then suddenly, before I had a chance to make up my mind, his shadow went eerily still, and I felt it. A demon. A soul collector. Kikyo. How could I have been so stupid? How did I not see if before? His behavior had been so obvious.

Inuyasha's robes shuffled as he quickly got to his feet and followed suit after the demon. It really was a no-brainer for me, I had to follow him. This time I had to see it for myself. I needed to know what I was up against now, because Kikyo was now the only one standing between us.

The breeze was warm and humid on my skin as I slid out into the night, making me sweat as I concentrated hard to mask my now easily detectable presence. I followed him to the edge of town, creeping barefoot through the dusty roads. He reached the forest line and quickly took to the trees, disappearing from my sight at once.

I ran to the same spot where he had only stood moments ago and wiped my moist brow with the back of my hand. I could go through with this stupid plan and interrupt the two, maybe even give him an ultimatum, who knows…or I could go back and get a full night's sleep. Decisions, decisions…

'Curiosity killed the cat, Kagome…but it still had 8 lives left.'

I stepped into the woods and the moonlight that had illuminated my steps before died in the tall branches of the trees, leaving me in complete darkness. My shoulder brushed against the sharp bark of a tree and I grimaced as the small abrasion awakened my nerves, but continued on the path, no less encouraged. I had not traveled too far in when I heard her voice.

"I am nothing but a spirit, Inuyasha," Kikyo said, "and my grievances here have been resolved."

As I quietly crept forward, I saw a dim light coming from a small narrow clearing, and took cover behind the big trunk of a tree, my eyes once again accustoming to the light emanating from the soul collector demons and revealing the two lovers.

"I do not belong in this world, and will be parting tonight. I only came to express my feelings and part ways with you one last time," she said as she approached Inuyasha and grabbed a hold of his clawed hands. The hanyou's eyes were covered by his white hair, but his lips were set in a grimacing, sad little smile. My stomach twisted as I saw how easily he showed emotion for her. How readily he gave in to her.

Kikyo went on, "Do you remember how you once wished to become human for me?" she asked, more a remark than a question, "I remember the day as if it were yesterday."

"Kikyo...I..." Inuyasha started.

"I remember my own wish to become an ordinary woman as well, to lead a simple life with you. I do lament that we were never able to fulfill such wishes, Inuyasha."

She moved closer to him, taking shelter in his arms. I tried hard to keep the jealousy at bay, but it was proving more and more difficult as the scene developed. I couldn't help but feel betrayed at the way Inuyasha's arms went around Kikyo's own.

"What will death be like?" Inuyasha whispered to her, so quietly I almost missed the words.

"Death is a place where nothing and everything are one. The afterlife is nothing but a resting place, a much sought after place for lost souls," she responded to his question, and smiled when Inuyasha's worried expression did not change, "Don't worry about me Inuyasha, I long for such a place."

He looked at her porcelain face and into her devoid, black eyes. I would have given anything to be able to read his thoughts. Maybe it hadn't been a very bright idea for me to follow along if what I had stumbled upon was a farewell meeting.

But then he leaned in and kissed her thin lips, and the effort to cover my aura slipped as Inuyasha's hands reached for her waist.

He slowly broke apart from her, and she was left a little astounded by such a forward approach. "I love you," he told her clearly, and by now my cheeks were wet with tears. He turned away from her surprised expression and walked towards me. I tried hard to swallow the sobbing whimpers that begged to be set free.

"Kagome...I..." he tried to say but the treacherous words seemed to have caught on his throat.

I came out from behind the tree, no point in pretending I wasn't there when he could now feel my presence. Facing the situation as bravely as I could, I came face to face with the boy who so ruthlessly held my heart.

"I love you," I told him, perhaps a little too late, but with much force as the first time I realized it myself.

"I know," was all the stupid boy said, "I know."

The lack of a proper response almost pushed me to the verge, a fresh batch of tears brewing behind my eyes, but I held on valiantly, refusing to completely fall in front of him.

"Is that all you have to say to me now? I know?!" I said a little louder than I would have liked. "Do you love me?" My voice cracked. I had to know.

"I love you," he said, "but it would be unfair to you to let you settle and be loved this way, by me."

"What do you know about fairness, you two-timing thief?" I whispered, ignoring the way Kikyo was looking at me from behind Inuyasha, "I chose to stay with you, I knew you loved Kikyo...but I stayed..." I carried on, this time taking a step back, wiping the tears with the back of my hand.

"And I love you for it, but you deserve more," he said walking towards my retreating form and grabbing a hold of my wrist, "more than I can give you," pulling me into a hug, forcefully and awkwardly, "more than what I have to spare...you can go back to your home, your time, and have the life that was meant for you, without demons or shards or anything to worry about. You'll grow old and happy. You'll be fine."

"You're letting her take you away, aren't you?" It suddenly dawned on me.

I looked past him at Kikyo, wanting to see the look in her face, and found it as empty as it had always been. "You don't have to do this. She can't force you to join her. It was a stupid promise, you don't have to go," I tried to reason with him, not taking my rosy eyes from Kikyo's face. I wanted her to know she was stealing his life, no collecting a debt. But then he spoke.

"I'm following my heart," he said, and Kikyo's own black eyes widened from his honest words and she smiled in a way that made me understand, love is a powerful thing.

He kissed my forehead and his lips seared my sweaty skin, and then he pulled away and gave me one last, golden look as he turned and faced his death.

"Inuyahsa…please, don't," I tried to make him understand, "I love you. We all love you. Don't go…"

I waited for a response, but he remained silent and reached Kikyo's side.

"She's not the girl you loved! Kikyo died a long time ago! Can't you see?!" I was screaming now, sobbing. "You can't leave me! Please, Inuyasha!!"

But he could. And he would. The reality of his actions hit me like a truck when he failed to answer my calling. He always came to me when I called for him. Always. And now there he was, not ten feet from me and purposely ignoring my like a mother would to a wailing brat.

I felt wearily out of place between the two, who were once again embracing, a blue light gathering at their feet as the portal to the afterlife opened to take the two willing souls.

"Inuyasha!!"

I couldn't watch this. I had to get away. I turned my back on them and then my feet took off running on their own accord, my steps now illuminated in the tightly woven trees by the intimate moment taking place behind me.

I didn't stop running when I got to the village, or when I passed Kaede's, or even when I reached the Well. I couldn't make myself stop running when my tired legs pleaded for rest and my sides were filled with pain. As I stood next to the worn sides of the Well's lips, I thought about going home. I couldn't think of any place to go where I would feel safe, for it was not my physical being that was in danger, but the fragile heart Inuyasha had left out in the open for anyone to see. I did not want my family to see me like this. I took off running once again, not caring to pay any attention to direction.

As morning grew nearer, my sprint had been reduced to such a slow pace that it couldn't quite even be considered a walk. My feet eventually led me back to my assigned quarters at the Headman's home, and my mind finally allowed my body to lie down for a moment to think about the night and its consequences.

The thought that Inuyasha would stay with me and claim me as his own someday was completely discarded now. How did I ever come up with such fantasies? The bitter truth of his feelings left me with a nasty taste in my mouth, and hours went by before my eyes closed and my mind finally went blank.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

Midday overtook the morning much too quickly for my taste, letting its sunny rays lay on anything they wished. The screen to the room where I slept had been slightly opened sometime during the morning, and an annoying noon beam had settled right across my closed eyes.

I rolled over from my belly-down position, using my arms to sit up. My achy, dry eyes quickly brought back the previous night to the surface, and I sunk back into the covers, preferring everlasting sleep than harsh reality. A poisoned apple had never sounded so good.

I stayed on the hard bedding for a long time, only moving to shift to more comfortable positions. As the day went about its course, someone was bound to eventually wonder where I was hiding; and it was Shippou who came bouncing into the room with a little more cheeriness that I would have liked, given my current angst.

"Hey Kagome, still sleeping? It's already dinner time! Have you been crying? Did Inuyasha say something mean to you again?! Want me to set him straight for you?" the words rushed out of his tiny mouth.

I looked at the kit and thought about closing my eyes and pretending to still be asleep, but sooner or later I would have to tell the others what happened.

"No Shippou. I'm fine," I told him, once again getting up and adjusting my wrinkled night clothes, "tell Kaede I am on my way to see her, and if you see Sango and Miroku please tell them to head over that way as well."

"Sure thing, I saw them both talking over by the stream. What's going on? Is everything okay?"

I smiled at him as reassuringly as I could "Be on your way now Shippou, I'll explain everything in a bit."

How would he react to the news? I knew he was attached to…to Inuyasha (the name now painful even in my thoughts), even though they both argued constantly. It was obvious there was some kind of brotherly relationship between the two. And what about Sango and Miroku? We had grown to be quite the tightly bonded pack. Would we still be the same without him?

I got up and folded the mattress and blankets, clearing the room of my presence, changing back into my worn uniform and pulling on my socks. I made my way out of the house and picked up my shoes from the entrance, walking through the village briskly, now desperately wanting to be with my friends. I hadn't thought about how they would handle this before.

I took my shoes and socks off before walking into Kaede's, dread settling comfortably into the pits of my stomach. I was met with happy faces all around, spirits still high from the previous night's celebration. My straight face must have been a stark contrast to their feelings, because as soon as I settled by the fire, they all gathered around me and their smiles fell into waiting frowns.

I went on to explain to the small party what had happened, leaving out small details such as Inuyasha's exact words and my reaction to them. I told them that, as much as it pained me, Inuyasha had followed Kikyo of his own free will, with no mischievous underhand whatsoever.

Shippou's reaction had been somewhat expected, I suppose. I tried be as comforting as possible as he cried in my arms, but it was hard, seeing as how I needed to hear comforting words as well. Sango joined in on our embrace, taking both Shippou and I, and putting in as much love as she could muster.

We sat in silence for a while, some sobbing, some quiet, all mourning, taking in the void space that filled in for the seventh member of the group. When night finally came around, Kaede got up and rekindled the fire, all thought going into continuing life and preparing supper. I wondered if being older made it easier to lose loved ones. Did you develop some kind of buffer with age? I hoped so.

We sat there as she cooked and fed us, nurtured and comforted, and finally tried to lull us to sleep by burning some scented leaves in the fire.

Shippou, lying in a corner next to Kirara, gave a big yawn. "I'm thirsty," he declared, looking guilty after the words were out of his mouth, as if he thought maybe he should postpone his needs in light of the grieving.

Kaede looked and fumbled around her pots, "I'm out of fresh water child, I'll go and fetch some from the stream," she said as she headed towards the entrance.

"I'll do it," I said, the need to get away from the hut suddenly suffocating.

All eyes turned on me but I quickly grabbed the bucket from Kaede's calloused hands, and slipped out the door before anyone had time to protest.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

This air was warmer this night, and the moon seemed to be smiling as I looked up at the clear dark sky. I didn't bother putting on my socks or shoes, instead grabbing for Sango's pair of straw sandals. The path to the stream was short, and I wished for more time alone to unravel my thoughts. Changing my mind and direction quickly, I made my way towards the deeper part of the river instead, opting for the longer walk.

What would I do now? Go back home and try to live a normal life. No matter how dull and miserable it suddenly sounded, I would go back home and try to pick up where I left off, maybe go to college or travel for a while. I would definitely come back and visit my friends, but my life would be in the present, not the past.

I found the river with ease, knowing the area of these lands as well as the back of my hand, and slowly took off the sandals to walk into the cold current.

I mulled over the sound of a life back at home in my head. It all sounded dreadful. But how could I think such things? I had a loving family and great friends. It wouldn't be so bad. And maybe one day I would stop thinking about white hair and golden eyes.

"It is an unwise being who walks alone at these hours," a deep voice startled me out of my wits, the bucket dropping from my shaky fingers.

I turned to find Sesshoumaru standing by the river bank, covered by the shadows of the trees. "You startled me," I reproached as I splashed through the water to reach the bucket before it floated further into the current.

"You are daft," he said as he moved out into the moonlight, "and somehow still alive."

'Did he just call me stupid?' the insult making me blush under his presence, "What is it that you need?" I asked him curtly. Powerful demon or not, I was not in the mood for this.

"This Sesshoumaru does not need anything. I came to discuss the matter of my father's sword."

'Oh, yes. The sword.' I thought. Something about Sesshoumaru's presence always made me think first and say aloud later.

The topic of what would happen to Inuyasha's Tetsuaiga had not been discussed before, not even having been a topic of importance when we were grieving the loss of a friend, of so much more. I wasn't even sure where he had left the sword to begin with. Didn't he have it with him before he…before he took off the night before…

"What about it?" I asked, "I don't have it."

Sesshoumaru looked at me impatiently, then made a forward motion with his right hand, and out of the shadows came his little toad servant, carrying Tetsuaiga in his arms like it was the Holy Grail.

Jaken came as close to the river's edge as he could without touching the water and extended his arms, presenting me with the sword.

"It is of no real use to me at the moment. You will keep it by your side until I find a more _fitting_, permanent place," he explained after seeing the disconcerted look on my face.

"Why me?" I asked a little bewildered, and then a little offended because he thought he could just dump this on me. I wasn't gonna bring this into the Shrine to cause some crazy catastrophe like the one that had happened so many years ago with the possessed mask. Souta had almost died. "Why should I?"

Sesshoumaru bore a heavy look into my eyes, either sizing me up or finding me tactless and insolent.

The displeased look on his face made me think he settled on the latter, "You will take the sword and guard it until I deem it necessary," he once again stated, "or you will find any previous alliance, however brief it may have been, turned into hostility."

And with that, he turned and walked away from me, not even waiting for a confirmation from my part. I wondered if he felt something, anything, at the departure of his half-brother from this realm. Had he been surprised when he found the sword and could not longer feel Inuyasha's presence around…had he figured out what happened all on his own? Or worst, had he been around to witness the event himself? I gasped and try not to think about that last one.

I once thought he was very handsome. Once. The first time I laid eyes on him. But compared to Inuyasha, he always fell short in my eyes. Inuyasha was all emotions, Sesshoumaru was all control. Where Inuyasha had been warm, Sesshoumaru was always cold.

So fine, I'd find some charm to put on the sword and leave it in a temple. Maybe I could give it back to Totousai. It's not like any demon wishing to do harm could actually wield the thing. Now that I thought about it, grandpa would probably be ecstatic to have the relic among his shelves.

Gathering water in the rackety bucket, I headed back to Kaede's with a little more resignation poured into my future.

As Shippou drank his fresh cold water, I announced my plans to return home, reassuring everyone I would be coming back to visit them as often as I could.

So the night came and went with everyone settling into a light sleep inside the small hut, and the following morning brought to light a second day without the hanyou's antics and snappy remarks.

I spent the next couple of days taking my time and gathering all my things, leaving behind food and blankets and anything of use to them. Sango and I went to the hot springs and took the quietest bath we had ever had together. Miroku spent the mornings with me meditating, and Shippou seemed content to do nothing but color with me for a whole afternoon.

When it was time to go, it was all big-hearted hugs and goodbyes. Shippou settled on my arms and refused to let go, making me feel guilty about leaving him behind as well. But I could come to visit. I would. So he didn't need to worry, and as I told him this he unwillingly released his hold on me.

We walked to the Well silently, Kaede having opted to say goodbye in the village. Miroku came close to give me his final hug as I settled my floppy yellow bag on the Well's lip. I was pleasantly surprised when he kept it modest and his hands remained at my shoulders.

Sango pulled me into a tight hug after Miroku, and I tried to reciprocate the squeeze as hard as I could, while Kirara purred along, encircling our legs. Shippou was last to say goodbye, keeping his tears back long enough to tell me that I better bring him enough candy to make up for my absence next time I came back, and he didn't wanna see too much candy either, since it would only mean I had been gone for too long. He gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek, tinted with the salty tears that were now falling from his big, green eyes.

I stood on the edge of the Well and slung my bag on my arm, trying to give them the best smile I could muster, I took one good look at them. Who was I kidding…it would be ages before I came back.

"See you guys soon!" I lied and jumped into the dark pit, sure I would feel a lot better after a long bath and a good home-cooked meal. Mother could always do wonders with my scratched, bruised, and broken parts.

But the familiar light which usually enveloped me in time traveling was not welcoming me at all, and instead it let me fall onto the harsh ground.

I screamed in agony when I felt my ankle snap, and my leg recoiled in pain as my nerves went haywire. I looked down to see my foot resting at some odd angle and it made my stomach turn.

"Kagome!" screamed Miroku from the top, at once climbing down the walls to come to my aid.

I could hear Shippou and Sango telling Miroku to climb down faster, cries of worry pouring from their mouths.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" I lied again, trying to calm them and gain control of myself. Freaking out never proved to be of any help to anyone.

Miroku reached the bottom and took a look at my rapidly swelling ankle.

"I don't think it's broken, but the bone must be dislocated," he said as he squeezed it a little to feel for the injuries, making me bite my lip to keep from screaming again, "get on my back, I'll carry you up."

As he kneeled in front of me and I grabbed a hold of his shoulders and neck, I couldn't help but be reminded of Inuyasha, and how many times I had ridden on his back like this. 'If he were here now, we'd be at Kaede's by now,' I thought, feeling a little guilty for not giving Miroku's valiant actions more credit.

He climbed the walls of the Well with some difficulty, he was not as fluent with them as I was, and once at the top, Sango helped me out and beckoned an already transformed Kirara to transport me back to Kaede's.

Inuyasha would have thought the whole situation amusing, if he had only been around.

The thought of not being able to go through the Well, of not being able to get back home, was a little ironic in my mind. Hadn't he said that I could go home and live to "grow old and happy." Yes, those had been his exact words. What would he have done if he had known I would not be able to go back so easily? Would he still have gone off to Kikyo's side?

And what was I supposed to do now? There had to be a way to get back home, right? Some powerful wizard, odd artifact, or magical hole that could take me back. There had to be. Right?

I wished for Inuyasha even though I tried not to. I wanted nothing more but to have him by my side, holding me with tight and reassuring me everything would be alright.

But he was not there to help me back on my feet or to swiftly carry me back into safety. He had not been by my side when Kaede had forcefully snapped my bones back in place. He hadn't even been there when I realized there was no jumping time anymore.

Inuyasha had been somewhere unreachably far off, with his one true love. He had made his bed, and now I had to sleep in it.

**_..._**

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	3. Sowing Season, 3

I'm not good with cliffhangers, so if you've made it this far, you must be terribly bored. This is still just setting things up, but it's the last of the "what's happened?" parts. Sort of. Sowing Season ends here.

Thanks to Margot Gentry again, for the great beta-ing (?) and sustaining feedback.

"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
**Quote**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**_Sowing Season, Pt III_**

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**_.._**

**_._**

"Push! Sango, push! Only a couple more!" I said loudly to the woman sprawled on the bed in front of me.

Sango pushed as hard as she could, making a sound familiar to the cries of men in battle, "I can't do it anymore! Miroku, where are you?! Come here you traitor!"

Miroku, who had chosen to take refuge in the corner of the room, as distanced from the action as possible, sighed and slowly inched his way back to his wife. "I'm here my little rosebud," he said feebly, "keep pushing, it's almost..." looking in between Sango's spread legs, he was unable to finish off his previous sentence, staring at her with horrid fascination.

"That's not helping at all Miroku! Keep pushing Sango, the shoulders are almost out!"

Miroku put his hand over the one of his wife, which was clutching at the spread under her, "You're nearly there, love."

After what seemed like an eternity, with one of several "last" pushes and a scream that was heard throughout the entire village, Sango became mother to their second child.

"She's gorgeous," I smiled contentedly at the flushed mother, cutting the cord, wrapping the little girl in a clean blanket and examining her lithe form, "ten fingers…ten toes…completely healthy!"

"It's a girl?" she said softly, "let me see her," she outstretched her arms towards the little bundle, "let me hold her."

Miroku was very quiet, his eyes following my every move as I cleaned the baby and approached Sango's side.

"Here," I said as I handed Sango her daughter, "I'll go and fetch Yoshi so he can come meet his new sister," I walked out of the room to give the couple some privacy and noticed an anxious Kirara standing guard by the door.

"You can go in now," I told the demon quietly as I passed her.

Their home was large, having more rooms than current family members. It was the biggest house this close to the heart of the village, always noisy with the sound of business and chatter going on in the streets surrounding it. I looked for the little boy in his quarters first with little luck. I then proceeded to the garden, which was located in the very center of the home. It was well-sized and green, even in winter, surrounded by rooms in every side. I found Shippou sitting in the tallest branch of the only tree that occupied the green patch, and in his lap was Yoshi, listening intently to whatever the fox demon was saying.

I approached the two as silently as I could, knowing Shippou could detect my aura a mile away but not wanting to interrupt the moment between the two.

"…gotta do it," Shippou finish as he lifted his eyes away from the little boy towards me.

"Hey there, boys," I greeted them cheerfully, looking up the branches towards the duo.

" 'Gome!" the toddler screeched and tried to climb down from the fox's lap on his own, but Shippou grabbed him and made the jump, landing gracefully in front of me.

He had grown much in the past years, the top of his head now coming to my shoulders, with his longish red-orange hair wildly tied up in a loose ponytail. He still wore dark blue hakama and a turquoise colored haori that made him easy to spot by all the village girls. And even though Shippou was as awkward as any other teenager boy, he seemed to have developed a rebel attitude and a flirtatious tongue. He was on his "teenager" years, and I, who felt barely out of them, tried to be as understanding of his antics as much as I could. After all, hadn't my mother let me travel back in time to fight demons at the mere age of fifteen?

I was more of an older sister to him now than the mothering figure I had once been, and the only thing that really bothered me about him was that his "keh's" and his fondness for trees reminded me too much of Inuyasha, especially since all I wanted was to forget about the long-gone hanyou.

"She okay?" Shippou asked.

"She okay?" Yoshi piped in from Shippou's arms.

"She's fine. And the baby is fine. And Miroku managed to stay conscious throughout the whole ordeal this time," I tried to assure them both with a wide smile.

"Alright then, here," he passed the boy into my arms, "give her my congratulations. I'll see you later."

Before he could leave I asked him, "You're not going in to see the baby?"

"See the baby?!" Yoshi put in his two cents again.

"Nah, I'll stop by tomorrow. See ya," he ruffled Yoshi's dark hair and jumped back up the trees branches, taking to the roof from there and out to the busy village.

I sighed and shifted the toddler in my arms.

"He be back 'morrow?" the little boy asked.

"Yeah, he'll be back tomorrow," I smiled at him and sat him on my hip, "Want to meet your new sister?"

He seriously pondered on my question, a little burrow settling between his little eyebrows and a full pout taking hold of his rosy lips. I tried not to laugh at the little boy's predicament and stifled the laughter in my throat, "You don't have to if you don't want to, you can see her later if you want."

But he nodded carefully and gave me the bravest smile he could bring his lips to form,

" 'S ok. Daddy there?" he asked.

"Yes, your daddy is there, too." I walked back to the master bedroom and set Yoshi down by the entrance.

"Go on, I'll be there in a second," I told him and gave him a little push inside.

Once Yoshi walked into the room I turned around and headed for the bathing room, trying hard not to let Shippou's actions bother me.

Lately, he'd been distant, going off on his own and coming to the house only for dinner or fresh clothes. As I pulled fresh towels off the storage cupboard in the bathing room, I wondered if maybe it was time for a talk with Shippou, or if maybe I should wait for him to approach me and tell me what was going on.

I made my way back to the newly-expanded family and entered the warm room, feeling like an intruder in the obvious private time.

"I brought some clean towels," I said to catch their attention.

Miroku got up from his spot by his wife and approached me, "Let me help you with that."

"I'm alright, I'm alright," I shooed him away, "you need quality time with your family," I told him, as if reaffirming my previous thoughts would make them know I knew I was intruding and didn't really mean to.

"I insist, my lady," he told me as he took the bundles from my arms, "you are as much part of this family as anyone in this room."

I smiled gently to him and turned to look at Sango. She was feeding the baby while Yoshi and Kirara investigated the little girl's feet that peeked from under her wrappings. It was quite the heart-warming sight and it should have probably moved me to tears, but did nothing other that make my throat feel clogged.

"What are you going to name her?" I asked Sango, trying to will the nasty feeling away.

"Yumine…" she said, and the smile I had been willing to surface came easily now.

"That's perfect," I told her, reaching to touch the baby's pink fingers.

"I'll take care of her Kagome, you go on and rest too. It's been a long day for all of us."

Sango had started going into labor in the early hours of the morning, and now that it was mid afternoon I could not deny I was thoroughly exhausted.

"Alright then, I'll be going back home, send for me if there's anything you need. I'll come back to pick up my things tomorrow, or let me know if you want me to stay over longer…"

I'd been a guest at their home for about a week now, staying close to watch out for the baby coming, but now that the toughest part was over, maybe I could afford some solitude. "I'll tell Shippou to visit later, you know how he's been lately..."

Miroku gave me a knowing nod and I excused myself from the room just as Sango started drifting off to sleep, grabbing a few of the dirty towels on my way out and heading towards my own little house.

The air was humid and hot, and the light cotton yukata I wore stuck to my back and made me feel uncomfortable. There were times when I missed air conditioning and refrigerators. The day had indeed been long, but the singing crickets announced the sun would soon be going down. I walked the short distance between houses in a few minutes and stood outside my own home, looking at it and contemplating on the day's events before going in.

My own house wasn't as grand as Sango and Miroku's, going for simplicity and durability rather than comfort and convenience. Nestled at the very outskirts of town, in between a couple of small hills and the forest line, it was very similar to Kaede's hut back in Inuyasha's forest, with only a few modern applications. Like cabinets. They were odd to the villager's eyes, who thought simple shelves would be enough for any storage need, but for me it was different. I knew there were some things that people in this age should never lay eyes on, things from the future that were now useless, but too rare to just throw away. My old flashlight, my watch, my old uniform, and some shoujou manga were now inside these cabinets, away from the eyes of any and all curious minds.

Yes, the old uniform was now gone. I stopped wearing it when I came to the conclusion the future and I were no longer connected. I didn't need any help reminding myself I didn't fit in this era as much I would have liked to. It was easy to live here knowing you were from a different place where it didn't matter if you could start a fire or tell north from south, you were excused. But now this was my home. No need to wear a skirt to attract a boy's attention when your eyes were cause for enough gossip.

Vanity held no place in my mind any longer. I absently wondered when I had stopped worrying so much about my looks. Had it been when Inuyasha went away, or maybe when I realized none of the boys I came across held my interest for too long...I was getting so old. Almost 22 and still single. I would end up an old cat lady, without a cat, since Yoshi seemed to scare all of them away. Maybe Kirara could come live with me if Sango's household kept getting any bigger.

I gave up thinking about pointless subjects and walked into the hut, removing my straw sandals at the door, "I'm home," I said to no one in particular, looking around to see if Shippou had made it back yet.

"About time! I'm starving," he said as he walked in through the door right behind me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll make us something to eat," I responded, sneaking a glance to his person, trying to catch anything that might give light into his new countenance.

I found him eyeing my just as I was doing him, "So what were you thinking about?"

"Hmm?"

"Took you a while to come inside. I was watching you," he confessed.

"Oh, nothing. You know, this and that…"

He sat down against a wall, his teal eyes on me as I went about making dinner. "Is she alright?" He asked.

"She's fine. Everything went just right," I answered picking up on the topic.

"It sure didn't sound like it, I almost went in there myself to see what was going on,"

"Yeah, it wasn't as easy as it was with Yoshi. Start the fire, will ya?" I told him as I started peeling some veggies.

"Put some meat in it this time," he said as he noticed the ingredients I was getting ready were all from the ground, "I want meat."

"We're almost out of meat. You should go pay them a visit tomorrow," I told him, "They've named her Yumine."

A smile slipped through his lips before he had a chance to cover it up; being a softie didn't go well with his look.

"I'll go hunting tomorrow," he said looking away from me, a certain provider's pride coloring his features, "I'll get some for Sango and Miroku, too."

"Good," I told him while stirring the potato and meat stew, trying not to think of how Shippou's smug face looked so similar to that of the stubborn boy that still haunted me to this day. 'Four years...four years and I still see him everywhere...' I thought with a grimace.

Four years ago, after Inuyasha had chosen his fate, and mine had been chosen for me, we decided to settle in the same village we had come to spend so much time in. We roomed with Kaede for the first months, but as the relationship between Miroku and Sango became a marital bond, they moved to their own hut, leaving Shippo and I to room with Kaede.

And so the wise old miko and I became close, and I took to her as an apprentice; for the first time being able to use and channel my powers; learning and taking it all in from the experienced Kaede, growing not only in skill, but in spirit.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Kaede fell ill and it became apparent that she would not recover. I stayed by her side until the day she passed, and I felt much grief at her absence. She had been like a second mother to me.

Fortunately, the bad times were overcome momentarily when another situation arose: Sango was pregnant.

The new development took a strong fighter from our side, and even though my skills had improved by a thousand-fold, I still took to helping other villages when a priestess was needed. What if the village was attacked when I wasn't around? With Sango expecting, the group's defenses needed to be higher than ever before. So we packed everything up and moved to the safest lands they knew in the region, the Western Lands.

It had been years since anyone had seen Sesshoumaru, who without any powerful enemies or any trouble worth his while, had once again settled in his lands and taken to their care. I was fairly sure he wouldn't even notice our arrival, or care for that matter. He'd not once shown up around the area to check on our welfare, or even on Tetsusaiga's for that matter (which I still carried around with me like a good little keeper.) Surely, he'd have no problems with us being around.

And true to everyone's belief's, Sesshoumaru had not shown even once since we had arrived here a little over three years ago. That's why when I felt the unmistakable aura coming towards my humble home, I froze like a deer caught in the lights, and was mirrored in the action by Shippou, who was sitting in front of her.

"Sesshoumaru?!" Shippo said aloud, voicing my own thoughts.

"Shhh!" I shushed with panic in my voice; for some reason feeling like maybe we should hide.

Shippou quickly got to his feet and went to the entrance of the hut to take a peak outside.

"Shippou! Get back here!" I yelled with a whispering voice.

"Shhh!" he shushed me now, "what is he doing here?" he said whispering as well, looking out from his spot by the door, "he's not supposed to be able to detect us!"

"Can you see him?" I asked quietly, and then I went over the fox demon's words once more, "What do you mean 'he's not supposed to be able to detect us?…Shippou…what did you do?"

"Nothing! Why would you immediately think I was up to something...wait, there he is!" he whispered a little louder this time, "He's walking this way!"

"What?!" I all but yelled, standing up from my spot by the fire, completely forgetting about the cooking stew, "What did you do?!"

"Oh!" he grumbled, "I just made a _little_ barrier around the village to try and mask your aura, what with the new baby coming along we don't need any extra attention! I was just trying to help!"

"That is most definitely doing _something_! What if he felt your cover barrier and now things there's something fishy going on around here?!"

Before Shippou could return my last reproach Sesshoumaru came in uninvited and stood at the entrance, looking as regal as I could ever remember, slowly looking over us both.

"Good evening," he said, and I heard Shippou take a loud swallow.

I looked nervously towards his face, forgetting and then remembering my manners, "Good evening," I said with a little too much forced cheerfulness shoved into the awkward words.

Shippou bowed respectfully to the Western Lord, "Would you like to come in?" he offered.

Sesshoumaru looked around the small dingy place and walked in without taking his shoes off, "Your meal is burning," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh no!" I came back from my temporary haze and forced myself to tear my eyes away from his face. I clumsily took the pot off the fire, cursing under my breath and trying not to burn myself.

Then Shippou, in an incredibly evil and sneaky manner - very much like a fox demon I might add, decided this would be a good time to make his getaway and be proved a coward.

"Well, if you'll excuse me…um, I'll be outside," he said as he returned my glare with a wincing shrug and walked out.

Silence stretched as Sesshoumaru continued to stare in my general direction, though not quite meeting my eyes.

"Umm...would you like to sit down?" I said after a moment's thought on proper etiquette for visting demon Lords.

"No."

"Would you like some tea?"

"…"

"Would you...like something to eat?"

"…no."

This would be difficult. I had already run out of polite conversation and the room seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. What in the world was he doing here?

"I came to make a request," Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke as if reading my thoughts.

I continued staring at him, unsure of how to respond and somehow transfixed by his golden eyes. So similar, yet so different.

He said nothing as well, maybe waiting for a reaction other than shock, but when this seemed to prove quite the difficult task, he gave me an obvious sneer.

"Oh, okay, a request? What...what is it?" I asked tentatively, "not another sword, right?" As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I shouldn't have said them. He once again sneered, and quite well if I say so myself, then continued.

"I am to leave my ward here, in this village, and you are to take care of her."

"What?" I said even though I had heard him perfectly.

"I do not like to repeat myself."

"Why?"

"I find it pointless," he said dryly.

It took me a second to catch on to his answer. "No, I mean, why would you leave your ward…Rin, if my memory serves me right…why would you leave her here…with me?"

He looked away for an instant, maybe a little embarrassed at having misunderstood me, maybe to decide on how best to dispatch of my body.

"Rin is at an age where female intimacy would be of an advantage to her character growth. I have scouted the area for a suitable place for her to socialize with her kind, and I have found you to be the better candidate for such a task."

He left no room for argument, really. And in fact, I felt somewhat honored that the great Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, would pick me over any other female as the best of my kind to entrust with his ward. I blushed for the first time in years, feeling silly as I did.

"I'm honored you'd pick me, Sesshoumaru, really…but…"

"You have no choice in the matter, miko, you are to do as I command," he went on, "and you'd be mistaken to take my words as flattery. You are simply the only female of age here that does not have a commitment to anybody else. Also, your skills on the battlefield would come in handy if an enemy were to think her a suitable target."

My mood quickly changed by his little speech, and I was a little irritated by his attitude. He seemed to think I was at his disposal. First, the sword, now, the girl. What next, his lands? But if I knew anything about Sesshoumaru, it was that he always got what he wanted, no matter if it cost him an arm.

"Your arm!" I said a little surprised, my mind completely abandoning the previous conversation, "You've got both arms!"

Sesshoumaru looked like he was about to roll his eyes, but didn't, simply giving me a warning "Miko," as a reprimand.

'None of my business I guess.' I tried to sound confident and firm, pushing curiosity aside, "Sorry…listen, I think we should discuss this a little more, I mean, I have enough trouble taking care of Shippou and…"

"This is not open to discussion," he said dryly.

"Really Sesshoumaru, I don't think this would be a good time for me. Sango just had a baby today and..." I stopped in mid-sentence when I saw the young girl come inside.

"Hello Lady Kagome," Rin said with a respectful bow, which made me feel like she had more femininity in her pinky toe than I did in my entire body.

The girl was much taller now, if not the same height as Shippou, then maybe even a few inches more. Her eyes were a warm brown and her hair was nicely tended to, holding itself together in a tight braid that hung on her shoulder. She wore a colorful, flowery kimono that seemed to have cost more than my entire home. If she had walked in wearing a jeans and a t-shirt, I would have thought she looked like the pictures of my mother in her younger years.

"Hi Rin, no need to call me Lady, just Kagome will be fine," I said with a little nervous laugh.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru addressed her but looked at me, "you will stay here and will not leave or wander without my permission," he said, his voice soaked with force and command.

Despite Rin's feminine composure, she looked ready to cry, and I really hoped she didn't, for fear of how Sesshoumaru might react. I'd never seen this eloquent side to him before, and it was a little frightening to wander into such unexplored territories, practically alone. Shippou would suffer for his traitorous ways.

Rin valiantly held any tears she might have need to shed and directed her gaze towards her feet. Sesshoumaru spared her a glance and looked about ready to leave.

"Sesshoumaru, I don't think..." I started but quickly shut my mouth as he turned a fierce pair of eyes in my direction and took a small silky bag from his sleeve, extending his arm toward me. "You should be able to live comfortably with that for now."

I couldn't control the sigh that escaped me next. Fine. How hard could it be? It might even be fun to have a girl around the house for a change. I took the bag from his fingers and looked inside, finding enough funds to keep us warm and fat for several months. We may even be able to add an extra room just for Rin's comfort.

I was a little boggled by Sesshoumaru's actions, which showed a lot more care than his words had ever done, and finally came to the understanding that he was only looking out for the girl's well being and wanted what was best for her.

I gave him a slight nod and thought I imagined relief crossing over his handsome features. Handsome…really? Surely that thought was imagined as well.

As he turned to leave Rin stiffed noticeably, apparently torn and distressed. How was it that such a nice girl could become so attached to the cold demon?

"Rin…" I called her name and tried to sound comforting, but when Sesshoumaru stepped out through the mat door she said quietly, "**I am not your friend**," still not lifting her eyes from her feet.

"…Rin, you'll-" I took a step towards her, almost missing his words from the other side of the door.

"**I am just a man who knows how to feel**."

Rin seemed to markedly relax after this personal exchange. I on the other hand, did not know what to make of it. The girl now within my arms reach even managed a shy smile, so I decided not to call attention the little event, as to not make her nervous and uncomfortable again.

"May I be of service, Lad-- Kagome?" Rin asked and looked up at me expectantly.

This day had proven to be entirely too long for me. I wished for nothing more than a good night's sleep.

"How's your cooking?" I asked her playfully as I directed her to the burnt-ish stew.

She considered it for a second and responded, "I've seen worse," as she rolled up her pretty sleeves and got to work on the pathetic excuse for dinner. I was about to join her when an out-of-nowhere impulse took me over.

Shippou walked in, surprise taking over his features when he noticed the pretty young girl, and seemed about ready to blow a storm, but I got up and rushed out the house past him, mumbling a quick "be right back."

I walked out into the cool breeze and immediately noticed Sesshoumaru standing on top of the small hill that neighbored the hut. I didn't have time to wonder why I felt compelled to speak to him once more before he left because I realized my legs had already carried me halfway up the steep land.

The darkening violet sky was stock-full of burning stars already and he only added to the scenery, giving him an air of awe I'd never before come across. Thoughts once again led me to puzzle myself as to how such a girl like Rin could become so attached to the powerful demon. Beautiful to be sure, but so cold and taciturn.

In that same moment he turned to look at me and found me staring unabashedly. For a second, the thought of a quick retreat crossed my mind, but before taking such action, I steeled myself and kept on climbing.

And then I was there, right next to him, with nothing to say.

"Pretty night, huh?" I blabbered as I led my eyes away from him towards the purple sky.

He said nothing but kept his eyes on me, making me fidget. What was I doing here? Did I fee like I need to comfort him? Surely not, right?

"Rin will get better with time, don't worry about her."

"I do not," he said.

"You know, if you ever want to come visit her-"

"I know." He answered me before I ever finished. I willed my hands to stop fidgeting and looked around uncomfortably. How could Rin be so attached to _him_?

I had to know. Stupid, yes. But I think we already settled the manner of my curiosity and loose tongue.

"May I ask you something?" I let the words come quickly before my self-preservation senses kicked back in.

Sesshoumaru neither moved nor said anything, so I went on, "How did Rin come to be part of your little entourage?"

"Entourage?" he said, clearly not recognizing the word.

Regretting my choice of modern words I tried to explain, "You know, your gang...following…pack?"

'Is this what I'm after?' I wondered while he seemed to weigh my question, 'The reason of how she came to be so attached to him?'

"That is not of any consequence to you," he said.

"I know, I was just wondering..." I blushed for what seemed like the upthmillionth time this day, "She's really taken to you, and I was just wondering why?"

"Are you inferring that I am incapable of having a faithful 'entourage'?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"No, no," I quickly denied the statement, "It's just that you never looked like the type to allow any kind of…hindrance."

He moved his light golden eyes to my own odd colored ones, and I was taken aback with images of another pair of pretty yellow eyes. I pushed the images away and continued.

"I'm not saying that you're this cold, uncaring being either," I quickly amended after hearing the words come out of my mouth, "It's just that you're, well, not the warm gentle type...but I don't personally know you so maybe you are...not that I think you're this cuddling puppy or anything either..." and I just couldn't seem to keep my fat mouth shut.

"Miko," he started, effectively stopping me, "Do not misunderstand me. I do not belong to any 'type'."

'Yeah, Kagome, he doesn't belong to any _type_,' I thought, "I didn't mean it the way I said it."

"Then all that talking was unsuccessful."

"Sorry...I guess it's really none of my business..." I said and turned my back to walk away. Then it hit me. I wanted, _needed_, to know how he had managed to capture Rin's loyalty and affection. So that I could figure out why I still dreamt about Inuyasha and maybe come up with a cure to my grievances. I mulled that over for a second before he spoke.

"Rin is as stubborn as any strong demon I have ever come across," he said, surprising me with his confession.

"What was that farewell between you two about?" I asked before I could stop myself, still not turning to look at him again. I didn't want him to see the pained look on my face.

He didn't answer, and I decided I had been lucky enough that he even acknowledged my presence, "She seemed to calm down a great deal with that, whatever it meant. Will you come back soon?" I asked and was taken aback by how much I really wanted to know the answer to this particular question. Only so that I can be better prepared next time, of course.

But he didn't answer me, and ever the king of disappointment he said, "I will leave now."

"Goodnight," I called out to him and picked up my steps down the hill again.

"Miko," he said suddenly, startling me and almost making me trip. Pretty sight that would have been.

"Kagome. You can call me Kagome," I told him as I turned to look up at him now that he commanded my attention.

"Miko," he repeated once again, "**I am not your friend, I am not your lover, I am not your family**."

If his statement seemed to appall me, it was because I was _not _shocked or unprepared for his harsh words.

"I know."

"You will do well to not forget it."

I smiled and bowed my head to him slightly, maybe for the first time ever. His words sunk like an anchor and helped me steady myself. I was stuck in this nonsensical time where wars raged and magic was real, but through it all, he made sense. Perfect, clear sense. I made my way back towards the hut, leaving the moment behind, but forever storing it in my mind. I was only human, and he was everything but.

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	4. Soco Amaretto Lime, 1

Please excuse any OCCness, I really am trying.

I'm running out of ways to say Thank you Margot Gentry, and I'm barely on the second chapter...go read some of her fanfiction. She's got some great Harry Potter stuff.

"Speaking"  
'Thinking'  
**Quote**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**_Soco Amaretto Lime, _****_Part I_**

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As I walked among the tall green grass of the valley, a small twig lodged itself between my toes, making me all the more uncomfortable.

The sun had risen not less than an hour ago, probably around the same time as the little convict had made her escape, and it was already too hot for an early morning. I kept on walking, hoping it wouldn't take very long this time.

This was the fourth time in the past couple of months, if I remembered correctly. And the last one had been a narrow escape from the sure death I would have suffered had I arrived a couple of minutes later.

"I'll purify you if you come close!" her voice carried from not too far away now. I took a quick jog towards the sound.

The smell of rotting flesh suddenly reached my nose and I stopped at once in my tracks. The chirping birds and cheery morning did nothing to warn me of the heart-stopping events going on several feet from me.

I pulled an arrow and readied my bow in the barest flash of a second, the movement now fluid in my arms and fingertips, and not taking a second guess to verify the arrow would hit its target, I let it fly.

A rosy glow emanated from the arrow as it zoomed in and sank almost gracefully right between the snake demon's orange eyes. The thing didn't even see it coming. This whole hiding-my-aura thing now came to me as second nature.

Rin stood still by the spot where the demon now disintegrated and joined the passing breeze, stumbling backwards from the shimmering dust cloud.

"Rin," I called and waited for her to regain her wits.

"Why hasn't he come back yet?" she asked, the question directed more to herself than me.

"…Rin…I don't know. I'm sure he's just occupied with other things," I lied.

I saw her shoulders tremble as she took in a shaky breath, then she turned around and walked in my direction,.

"I apologize. I won't do it again," she lied right back.

Last time she had pulled off one of these little stunts, I had just barely found her on time as well, managing to save her from an angry boar with no seconds to spare. If something were to happen to her, I'm sure Sesshoumaru would choose the exact moment to return.

"I see you came prepared this time," I tried to lighten the mood and relieve some of my own stress. She had the bow I had given her to practice with and a few of my arrows folded into the obi of her kimono.

She reddened at my comment and lowered her face. Fall and winter had come and gone, and now in full blown spring, Sesshoumaru still hadn't come back to see her.

"Come on then," I coaxed, slinging the bow onto my back, and put my arm across her shoulders.

As we walked, I pretended not to notice the quiet sobbing and tightened my hold on her small frame, trying to decide if I should find some words of wisdom and courage to feed her little battered heart.

I was about to open my mouth when I saw a bright mop of hair sitting tall among the trees. Shippou and his shiny green eyes, looking down at us as we walked through the forest towards he village. I could see the pity in his face even from such a distance. I closed my mouth and walked a little faster.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

Whoever first said "the more, the merrier," must have meant it in a sarcastic way. Lately, I was all nerves and jitters, and the feeling was, sorry to say, not caffeine induced. The latest addition to Sango's household liked nothing better than to wake people up at indecent hours of the night. I had taken to staying over a couple of times a week, as to give the couple a break and sleep, but the odd nightly routine was making me feel out of sorts.

Shippou had taken the news of Rin joining our little pack quite well, though I could tell he was just trying to be polite with the new company. I meant to apologize for not taking him into consideration when I made the deal with Sesshoumaru, but the task kept evading me. He kept staring at me when he thought I wasn't looking. More than once I had caught him in the act, only to have him turn away and pretend like he wasn't looking to begin with.

So Rin's archery practice had been on hold for quite some time now, but she didn't quite seem to care. I was so busy with helping Sango and Miroku, trying to figure out Shippou, and shadowing Rin every time she went out for a walk, that my nerves were taking quite a beating.

I made my way to the house, where hopefully Rin was still napping under Shippou's careful guard and walked through the mat door when I realized I had left to do something. Just what something exactly, I couldn't remember…

"What's wrong?" Shippou asked me from his spot by the fire.

"Nothing," I said, now placing my hands on my hips and chewing on my lip, "I forgot what I was doing…"Shippou frowned but decided to be helpful, "Weren't you going to go get some more water?"

"Ah! Shoot!" I turned right back around and ran back towards the stream, but not before noticing the small smile that had forcefully taken hold of Shippou's lips.

The evening sun shone brightly once more as I ran back towards the shallow part of the river, my feet kicking up dust as they pounded on the dry ground. We hadn't had any rain for weeks now, which was weird as it was spring.

I turned the last bend around the forest and got to the river in time to see my one and only bucket drift past the river's bend. Damn it all. Dinner would be late tonight.

Still breathless from the run, I stomped into the water to yell indecencies to the cold current, getting my shoes and the bottom of my knee-length yukata wet in the process, irritating myself even more.

This absent mind would cost me more than just a wooden bucket if I didn't get my act together soon. What if I had been a little later on the last of Rin's escapades?

I sighed and walked back to dry land, picking an oversized rock to sit on. I took my sandals off and let the sun dry my wet feet. After some calming breaths, I laid back on the rock and let the rays touch my pale face, closing my eyes and drifting my arms up above my head, all in an attempt to clear my clouded mind.

The warm breeze caressed the tree's leaves, making them lift and dance about. I could hear the rush of the water over the rocks on the river's edge, the flapping of the wings from a few birds flying overhead. I relaxed and tried to let all the uneasiness melt away, listening to the sounds of nature and the creatures around me. And then I heard the crunching of leaves under weight, and the rustle of clothes coming from the quiet trees across the river. I tried not to move and feel for the aura belonging to the intruder, but felt nothing but nature all around me.

I was sure I heard the tattle-tell signs of someone moving about trying not to be noticed, I'd made them myself plenty of times in my younger years. I was certain there was someone near, watching me.

I slowly got up and made a show of stretching my arms and legs, seeming like I had not noticed anything. But things started to change, and it all suddenly felt wrong.

From across the river, a squirrel jumped from the branch of a tree to another, drawing my attention to the shadows that lingered there. I still could not sense anyone, but I was sure there was someone, or something, trying hard to not be seen.

I made my way slowly towards the edge of the river, staring intently across to the dark between the woods, all pretense of unsuspecting damsel now thrown out the window.

"Kagome!" someone yelled my name from behind my back, startling me and making me lose all concentration. I turned around and found Miroku walking my way, two buckets firmly in both his hands.

"Shhhh!" I said as I lifted my index finger to my lips.

When he reached my side I asked him, "Do you sense anything weird?"

"What?" he asked confused.

" I think there's something hiding in the trees over there, I heard it. I just can't sense it. You don't feel anything?"

He closed his eyes, taking my request seriously, and after some moments he opened them and smiled confidently, "Nothing."

"I swear I heard something…" I said, giving up and trying to push the uneasy feeling out my mind.

"You need a break, Kagome. How about dinner at our house tonight?"

I knew he meant it well, but I couldn't help thinking about how that prospect would be so much more tiring than staying at home and having a quiet meal, "Sure, why not."

"I stopped by your house, but Shippou told me you should be here," he raised his left arm and held one of the buckets out, "He figured you might need a new one."

"Thanks," I grabbed the bucket and tried to smile but by the look on his face I guess it looked more like a grimace, "I'll go get Shippou and Rin and we'll be over there later."

"Oh, I hope you don't mind," he said, scratching the back of his head with the now free hand, "but when I got to your house they had been waiting for you to tell you they were going out for a walk. I guess Rin wanted to go and Shippou was going to tag along, so I told them to go ahead and I would let you know. They'll be at our house for dinner. Are they getting on well?"

The uneasy feeling sank down to my stomach, "…oh, good…yeah, I guess you could say they get along fine. They don't really talk much. Rin is so quiet most of the time, unless the topic of conversation is her adored demon."

He gave an easy laugh at that and walked over to the water, reaching down and sinking the bucket in, "Well, they seemed like a pea and a pod when I found them, deep in shushed tones of conversation."I wondered what the two of them could be up to but tried not to let it bother me.

"You alright?" Miroku asked as he came back to my side, bucket full and sloshing.

"Of course," I smiled and turned away from him, bending down to put my sandals back on. After all these years, it was still odd to not feel a wandering hand on the backside when giving Miroku such an unguarded opportunity.

"Ok then, we'll be waiting for you then," he said as he walked back to the village, whistling some familiar tune.

I took firm hold of the bucket and went over the water to fill it up. What could Shippou and Rin be doing? I could trust Shippou to not get in any trouble, right? They would know better, I hoped, that to get far from the village…

I reached my senses out and tried to feel for Shippou's youki, looking as far as I could first, then zoning in to the more habited areas.

'There,' I found him quickly, just barely on the outskirts of town, opposite our home, over where the river flowed and they had built that new bridge. Maybe he had just taking her out sightseeing. I felt guilty for thinking Shippou would be so careless as to do anything dangerous, and bringing my senses back in, I started walking back home. He was a responsible, young man…demon.

When I was finally within the confines of my cozy home, I felt strangely sentimental. Drained and sad. I used to be so good at handling emotions, and now anything but normalcy set me on the edge.

I balanced on one foot at a time to take my sandals off, managing to not spill any water from the bucket still in my hand, then I walked to the corner of the house designated as the "kitchen", and put the bucket down, covering the fresh water with a large dish.

I missed my mom, as childish as that sounds. I missed her laugh and her warm, soft hands. And Souta. I missed him too. He was always so much braver than me. How tall must he be now? And Gramps. I tried not to think much about him, I couldn't bear the thought of him passing away that always came when I envisioned his wrinkled face. I even missed the cat, Buyo, and the way he always picked my lap over any other in the house.

But most of all, and this is what hurt the most, is that I missed Inuyasha. I missed him more than anybody else, and that somehow seemed, _felt_, wrong. Especially since I was sure my family must be missing me badly, and the stupid boy couldn't even think of me. Did the dead have thoughts? I didn't think so. And even if he could think, I was sure his attention would have been with the better-looking version of me. I should be punished for these treacherous feelings. My family deserved better from me.

Still feeling highly emotional and now reminiscing about older times in the future, I walked over to my prized cabinets. The keepers of all sacred and holy in my eyes. I opened the bottom one, where I kept what little clothes I had from the futuristic era, and pulled out my favorite pair of shorts. A pale pink, short little number.

Even though I knew Mama's laundry scent was all gone by now, I pulled them up close to my nose and took a deep breath. 'Ahh! River-and-Nothing scent,' I thought sarcastically before deciding to put them on and see if they still fit.

I almost stopped, thinking Shippou and Rin could walk in at any moment, but then remembered they would go directly to Sango's tonight. The coast was clear. I slid them up my legs and was pleasantly surprised that they still fit so well. Not that I had gained any weight, it was hard to do so on a diet of mostly rice and fish, but my curves had gotten…curvier, or so.

Then I saw the P.E. shirt I used to bring over after I had graduated. It was the only shirt I used to care nothing for and was not afraid of ruining. Now one of my most valued possessions, all cotton and no polyester. I took off my short yukata, letting it fall to the floor, and pulled the white shirt over my shoulders. The red lining around the neck and sleeves was still a bright, deep crimson.

How I wished for a mirror at that moment, to let me see myself and remind me of how I used to be. Back when I loved everything and everyone, so carefree.

I sighed and sat down, feeling silly in the outfit and a little out of sorts. The bandages that held my breasts felt itchy in the confines of the tight shirt, so I reached under and slid them off, throwing them on top of the clothing pile now forming next to me. I knew there was a bra in the cabinets somewhere, hid deeper than any other piece of clothing I still had.

A couple of years ago, back when I still wasn't as careful, I had left one of the two I had lying around the floor. Back then I used to wear at least one piece of modern clothing to remind me of where I came from. But a crawling Yoshi had taken a hold of it during one of his visits, for Sango had - red faced and very apologetically, returned it several days later, all full of holes and torn, saying she found it among his toys.

I had never cried over lingerie before. So I didn't bother to take the last one out, and settled on the wooden floor, lying on my side and enjoying the cold feel of it against my skin.

I closed my eyes and listened to the shrill song of the cicadas outside. If I tried really hard, I could almost imagine I was back at home, lying on the living room floor, with Souta quietly doing his homework next to me, and Gramps sweeping outside, and Mama making cold lemonade in the kitchen.

Almost.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**


	5. Pause, Heart

I wrote most of this in present tense and got rid of the 1st person POV, to give it a different feeling from the rest of the story. I know it's a little weird, but it's supposed to be. This is one of my favorite songs, Heart, by this English band called Stars. I also made this AMV/Preview for this story - link to it on my profile page.

A million thanks to Margot Gentry for doing all the dirty work with this story.

"Speaking"  
'Thinking'  
**Quote**

* * *

**Pause**

_**Heart**_

_**...**_

_**..**_

_**.**_

Stretching languidly in her bed, Kagome kicks the light cover off her tangled legs. She is warm and snug in her cozy room, and she can hear her mother down in the kitchen and her brother playing out in the yard, birds singing happily as she opens her sleepy eyes to welcome the happy sights. The TV in her room is turned on, and she watches the images in it change.

A couple is arguing and then the girl starts crying. It's a teen drama she has watched from time to time, where the two leads would fight over and over again, but everyone knows they will inevitably end up together. The pretty girl is still crying as the handsome guy approaches her and kisses her sweetly. They kiss and hug and everything is alright again.

Her bedroom window opens suddenly, letting a cold rush come into the small room and calling for her attention. The TV turns off on its own as Inuyasha comes to rest on the window sill.

"Hey, I've been waiting for you," he says to her, "I won't be coming back this time."

"What?" she asks as she struggles to sit up, "No, wait for me, I'll be ready in a sec."

"There's no time. I can't come back for you."

"Wait, wait! Just let me get some clothes on!" she begs, realizing she's clad in only underwear but not caring that he's seen her.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha says with an apologetic smile on his lips.

Kagome scrambles out of bed and looks for clothes, any clothes, any fabric to cover herself with. "Alright! **Alright! I can say what you want me to!**"

Saying nothing more but keeping his smile, Inuyasha turns and jumps off out of her sight.

"**I can do all the things you do!**"she yells after him rushing to the window, "**I'll make it all up for you!** Alright?!" she yells after him as he runs across the courtyard.

But it's too late and Inuyasha is now only a red spot, getting smaller by the second. The orange day warns of the coming night, and in the distance, Kagome can see the dark starless night creeping ever so slowly. She cries, tears the size of rough diamonds. "**I'm still in love with you**," she sobs quietly, "**I'm still in love with you…**"

She feels heavy and empty at the same time. As her bright room starts to turn dim she feels she must find Inuyasha. The TV in her room once again turns on to show the drama couple smiling happily at each other, the girl in an elegant white dress and the guy in a black tuxedo that fits him a couple of sizes too small. The blurry corners of her room seem to be losing their colors now. She walks out of her room not bothering to find any clothes and heads downstairs where her mother awaits her in the kitchen.

"It's too late in the day to wake up now, Kagome," her mother reproaches her gently.

"How long have I been sleeping, Mama?" she asks as she sits down on the table.

"A very long time," her mother responds, taking Kagome's face into her warm, soft hands, kissing her temple.

Kagome looks into her mother's eyes and sees nothing more than dusty memories, playing in her irises like old, faded photographs. "I've got to find Inuyasha, Mama. Do you know where he went?"

"Now Kagome, you should worry about getting some clothes on first," she tells her as she walks to the cupboard and gets a big light blue sweater out of it. "This was your father's. It'll be too big on you, but you need something to protect you. Now, go find your grandfather, he's been looking for you."

Her mother goes to the sink and turns the faucet on, humming contentedly. Before leaving the kitchen, Kagome approaches her mother to embrace her one last time, feeling like this moment should be noticed and marked in her brain. She sees the running water caressing the stainless steel affectionately as it makes its way down the empty sink to the drain. She gives her mother one last hug as she runs out of the kitchen to find her grandfather, almost tripping over a dog-sized Buyo.

The courtyard to the shrine is empty; not even the wind rustles the fallen leaves. She walks through the shrine, every second feeling like she doesn't have enough time.

Finally, she sees her grandfather sitting at the bottom of the shrine's steps.

"Ji-chan!" she yells as she rushes towards the countless steps.

He turns around and his face is not that of an old man. His face is bright and young, full of life, but her grandfather's face nonetheless. It takes her all but two steps to reach the bottom of what seems like thousands, "Ji-chan, I don't have much time?"

"**Time can take its toll on the best of us**" he tells her knowingly, "**look at you, you're growing old so young**."

Kagome doesn't know how to respond. She stands there, unmoving, as her grandfather smiles at her and lets the silence fill in for words. She feels hollow and jealous and wronged. "That's not true."

The traffic lights along the street all blink green simultaneously, and Kagome sees the ever-growing, giant Buyo walking across the deserted road. The dark night is closer now; she can see it, feel it, seeping into corners a few blocks away from her.

"His flight comes in anytime now. You should hurry," her grandfather says.

"Inuyasha's flight? He's coming back?!" she asks eagerly.

"It's the latest flight from Paradise. Don't miss it."

Kagome takes off running, away from the young old man. Away from the crawling gloom that will take over any time now. The street lights switch to a warning yellow. She runs and runs heading nowhere and everywhere until she comes across a single white building surrounded by what looks like thousands of sacred trees. All of them, every single one, her sacred tree. She runs through the wide doors and is thankful to find herself in the airport.

"Flight from Paradise now disembarking at Gate 2...Flight from Paradise now disembarking at Gate 2," a soft familiar voice says over the speaker. As she walks around looking for gate 2, the snowy white ground crunches under her feet. Kagome looks down and wiggles her toes, trying to get the snow out from in between her reddening feet.

A bright red sign comes into her view, with a light blue arrow pointing to gate 2's location, and she immediately runs to where the arrow points, coming to a stop a few feet away from a door which is marked as EXIT.

She waits and waits and waits until even her fingertips seem to feel the cold her feet are suffering from, and just as she begins to doubt herself the door opens and a red-clad Inuyasha walks through.

"I can't wait for you," he tells her, pitying smile still on his face, "I won't come back this time."

"No! Wait!" Kagome yells as she walks towards him. But her clumsy, numb ankle almost turns on the treacherous snow and she falls back. She falls back into where she started. "**I can say what you want me to!**" Kagome yells at the smirking Inuyasha.

"**I want more**" he responds.

"**Alright, I can do all the things you do!**"

"**Give me more.**"

"**Alright. I'll make it all up for you…**" she says as the tears once again fill her eyes.

But Inuyasha is not the dreamy guy in a teen drama, and his clothes are not several sizes too small. He does not approach the crying girl for a kiss. He just stands there and keeps grinning down at her fallen form. He does nothing while she weeps and crumbles into the snow with her shut eyes.

"**I'm still in love with you…**" Kagome cries quietly into her hands.

"**The hard luck God**" a different voice now speaks.

Kagome opens her swelling eyes to find Inuyasha gone and Shippou now standing in front of her. "Is he gone?" she asks.

"**You never had a chance, you know,**" Shippou tells her as he grabs a hold of her arm and helps her get off the freezing ground, "**Incurable romantics never do.**"

"Shippou," she says, all life gone from her voice, "…take me home."

She does not say a word on the short walk back to the shrine and is thankful her fox demon does not either. The night is now unavoidable, already knocking on all the neighbors door's.

Her grandfather is waiting for her at the bottom of the shrine steps, and he takes her silently from Shippou's arm, as the now free kit takes off running back towards the trees.

The two climb a couple of steps and they cover hundreds, coming into the courtyard where an elephant-sized Buyo is now napping away as they walk across and into the house.

Her grandfather leads her to the kitchen. "Listen child, **He held the flame you weren't born to carry. I'll leave the dying young stuff up to you**" he says, handing her a bright sacred jewel souvenir keychain, and walking out of the room.

She stands there in the kitchen, looking out the window to the now dark purple that threatens to massacre the falling sun. There is a familiar rotten scent in the air, like that of flesh and blood. She turns her eyes from the window and sees a note taped on the refrigerator's door. It reads "Inuyasha got back on the latest flight to Paradise. There are leftovers in the fridge."

Her knees give and she collapses to the floor, feeling that she knew all along he would leave. It's Paradise, after all. But she never imagined he would leave her with such a void. Through the window, she sees an airplane while lying on the kitchen floor. She knows he is in it. She can feel him so close, so far away.

"**Look at you, you're growing old so young**" her mother repeats her grandfather's earlier words, walking in the kitchen holding a camera in her hands. She kneels down next to Kagome and laughs at her daughter's lifeless form. "**Tilt your head and turn it to the setting sun**" her mother tells her.

Kagome looks at her mother at the exact moment as the camera's flash goes off.

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

"**Everybody wake up!**"

"**Wake up!**"

"**It's time to get down!!**"

I recognized Rin and Shippou chanting before I even had time to open my swollen eyes, feeling plump and alive again, the feeling of emptiness replaced by warm blood and a beating heart. The oddity of their words and tone did not quite register in my confused mind.

'Weird dream,' I thought as I sat up from my uncomfortable spot on the hard floor and pressed the palms of my hands into my eyes, surprised to find them wet. I had been crying while sleeping…

"What's going on?" I said sleepily (and a little embarrased) as I pried my lids apart.

I still somewhat expected to find my mother smiling at me, and was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted me. White had never held so much evil.

_**...**_

_**..**_

_**.**_

* * *

Last three quotes are from the actual Chapter and the song Soco Amaretto lime, by Brand New, not the Pause. More coming soon.


End file.
